Fourtris Meets Clace

Chapter 7 - Tobias

TOBIAS

I don't realise I'm hungry until the first noodle touches my mouth. It all comes back to me - the salty, meaty taste of beef chow mein, the crispy, crunchy texture of prawn crackers and the puffy rice filled with bits of hard-boiled egg. I'm actually so glad we discovered Chinese food. I mean, the Dauntless canteen was pretty good. And I really miss the Dauntless cake too, but this food is so much more creative. I didn't know they added salad and cheese and sauce to hamburgers!

Jace must be starving, because in around three minutes flat he finished the chicken noodle soup he ordered, and was licking the bowl. I also saw him sneakily take one of Clary's prawn crackers when she wasn't looking.

"Hungry?" I say.

"Very," he replies. That's it. I'm not saying anymore, and by the looks of it, nor is he. I'm not pushing it!

"This is good," Tris says. "I'm so glad we have the best Chinese takeout in the world down the road from us."

I nod in approval. I don't think there is a better Chinese cuisine in the whole of America.

"I'll wash up," Jace says, getting up and taking his bowl. "Any plates?"

I hand over my side plate. Tris puts the last cracker into her mouth and gives Jace her main plate. "Thanks," she says with a mouthful of food. Clary is way behind; just starting her sweet and sour chicken. I don't know if it's just me who notices she seems to be pushing the chicken around her plate a bit.

"You okay, Clary?" Jace asks. So I'm not alone. He watches her fork as she slides the chicken through the sauce and stabs it slowly.

"Yeah," she says. "I feel a bit queasy, though."

I notice she looks a sickly green colour. Suddenly she gets up and sprints to the bathroom, hand clapped over her mouth, and face green. Jace drops the plates onto the kitchen surface and runs after her. Tris looks at me with a worried expression. I hear her being violently sick.

"Oh no," Tris murmurs. "Shall I go in there?"

"I wouldn't," I advise her. "She needs Jace there. No offence."

"You're right," she says. "Do you think it was the chicken? I wouldn't know - I haven't tried it."

"I don't think so," I say, honestly. "Lucky Dragon's chicken has never failed us. And in my chow mein it tasted fine. I guess it's probably plane sickness that's a little late."

Tris stares into space for a while. I study her thinking eyes. Then she looks at me frantically.

"What if she's pregnant?" she says. I never thought of that. I actually don't have an answer.

"I mean, she's a little young," Tris continues. "But I wouldn't imagine him as careful."

"Who isn't careful?" a voice says. Tris blushes as Jace walks into the room.

"Um..." she stammers.

"Our friend," I interrupt. "Uriah."

That wasn't really the best thing to say. Tris looks at me, shocked. Her eyes fill with tears, and as she runs right out of the room, they stream down her hot cheeks.

"Crap," I curse, following her. "Tris!" I leave Jace standing in the front room, confused.

Tris slams the door in my face as she storms into the bedroom. Not a good sign. "Tris!" I say, pounding on the door. "I'm coming in!"

I open the door gently. She's led on our bed, face covered by the duvet, sobbing heartily. This is my fault. I shouldn't have reminded her of Uriah. She hasn't thought about him for weeks - Evelyn has been distracting her with her crazy experiments. Maybe she'd even taught herself to forget, so she wouldn't have these outbursts of grief.

I sit on the bed next to her as she cries, and stroke her long hair. "Tris, I'm so sorry," I tell her. I hate seeing her cry, or in pain. When she was going through the physical Dauntless initiation and Peter was beating her up, I had to walk away. I couldn't watch it. It made me sick that Eric, my worst enemy who is now dead, would let a girl be beaten up until she couldn't see her own hand in front of her face.

She raises her head and looks at me. Her face is blotchy and wet, and tears still run down her cheeks. I prepare for the worst; I imagine she'll tell me to go away and never come back, which is what I deserve. She stares at me for a while, which makes me feel terrible. Then she gets up and comes and sits on my lap, crying and crying.

"I miss him so much," she says in between sobs.

"I do, too," I say. I can't afford to cry, although I have a huge lump in my throat and I can just about see through my glassy eyes, which threaten to overflow with tears. I have to be the strong one, and comfort Tris.

"It wasn't your fault, Tobias," she says, looking at me now. "You just had to cover for me. I should have said something else, not you. Don't blame yourself."

"I am, though," I say. "And it is my fault. Why did I have to say Uriah? Why couldn't I have said Christina, who is actually alive and wouldn't make you cry at the sound of her name? Or I could have just made one up! I'm such an idiot, and I really am sorry." I mentally scold myself out loud.

She touches my cheek softly, and she's not even crying anymore. I let her just sit on my lap, on the bed, and release all the grief, all the pain that has been kept inside of her for a whole year. I don't even kiss her, though I want to. We just sit together and in fact it is actually quite peaceful.